Device for holding blister pack

ABSTRACT

A device for holding blister packs has first and second members, which are operable between an open condition to allow removal of products from the blister packs, and a closed condition to prevent this. The blister packs are not removable from the device. The blister packs may be retained by panels overlying their bases. The members can be retained in their closed conditions by a child-resistant closure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for holding blister packs, andto blister packs.

One widespread form of packaging, particularly for medicines, is theblister pack. A blister pack comprises a thin resilient sheet, normallyof plastics material, in which hollows or “blisters” are formed, allfacing away from one side of the sheet. These blisters accommodateproducts, for example medication products, usually in the form oftablets or capsules. A tearable foil is sealingly attached to the sheetto cover the blisters and retain the products therein. To remove aproduct, a blister is pressed down, toward the body of the sheet, andthis action forces the product through the tearable foil and out of thepack.

It can be problematic to have blister packs stored loose, particularlyif the packs contain products which are dangerous for children.Accordingly, a number of devices for holding blister packs in such a wayas to prevent easy access to the products have been proposed.

In one example, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,907 (Kalvelage), theblister packs can be housed in a frame formed with openings throughwhich the products may be dispensed from the blisters. The openings arespecially shaped to provide partial obstruction to the passage of theproducts. The ability of the device to prevent access to the productsthus depends on the level of obstruction, rather than the device havingopen and closed conditions respectively allowing either easy access orno access.

Another approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,527 (Lataix). Thisdiscloses a blister pack which folds inwardly on itself to form twohalves arranged foil-to-foil, the two halves then being held togetheralong their edges remote from the fold line by a locking device. Thereis however a risk with this type of arrangement that an implement suchas a knife may be inserted between the two halves of the folded blisterpack at its exposed side edges, allowing access to the foil side of theblister pack and thus potentially to the products.

A further approach is to put the packs in a container, in order toprevent access to the products when the container is closed. A containerof this type is disclosed in, for example, U.S. 4,485,915 (Berghahn). Inthis document, a blister pack is held in a shallow tray, which can beslid in and out of a sleeve. There are no specific means to retain theblister pack on the tray, and if for example the sleeve is heldupside-down when the tray is pushed out, the blister pack could simplyfall out.

A similar container is disclosed in DE 3840080 (Lobermeier). Here, ablister pack can be slid into a holder. The holder has an array of holesarranged below the blister pack in use, which allow products to bepushed out from the blisters. The holes can be covered by a hinged coverto prevent the products from being dispensed. The blister pack can beeasily removed from the holder, for example to allow an empty blisterpack to be replaced by a full one. However, since the blister pack canbe easily removed, there is a risk that children can gain access to theproducts simply by removing the blister pack from the holder.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda device for holding a blister pack, comprising first and second membersoperable between an open condition in which products may be removed froma blister pack held by the device and a closed condition in whichproducts may not be removed, and retaining means for the blister packallowing products to be removed from the blister pack when the device isopen, the retaining means preventing the blister pack from beingremovable from the device.

The retaining means ensure that the blister pack will stay in itsposition in or on the device, even when the device is opened. If theblister pack is not retained in place, then it may fall out during theopening procedure, and in particular if the device is dropped when open,which is clearly inconvenient. Further, if the device is being used tostore a number of packs containing tablets which must be taken inaccordance with a particular dosing regime, having the packs fall out isparticularly inconvenient and indeed possibly dangerous, as the packsmay then be put back in the device in the wrong positions, leading topossible over- or under-dosing.

In addition, since the blister pack is not removable from the device, achild who manages to open the device would not be able to remove theblister pack from the device and then gain relatively easy access to theproducts.

It is preferred that the retaining means are tamper-evident. Any attemptto remove the blister pack from the retaining means will then leaveobvious signs, which can alert a patient. Further, if the blister packis to be inserted into the device by a pharmacist dispensing themedication, making the retaining means tamper-evident means that thedevice cannot then be reused in an unauthorized manner. This helps toreduce the risk of the device being used with counterfeit products.

The retaining means can be provided in any suitable form. For example,the blister pack could engage in recesses in the device, or could beheld in by locking bars or the like. However, it is preferred that theretaining means be in the form of a panel which fits over the base ofthe blister pack. This does not greatly increase the size of the device,and also ensures that the blister pack is retained across its entiresurface, rather than just holding it at the ends.

In order to allow products to be removed, the panel may have rupturableregions, for example, in the same way as rupturable regions are normallyprovided in blister packs. However, for simplicity, it is preferred thatapertures be provided in the panel to allow products to be removed fromthe blister pack in the open condition without removing the panel.

It is preferred that a blister pack is held by each of the first and thesecond members, to increase the overall storage capability of thedevice. Further, this allows products such as medication to be dividedinto groups, for example tablets to be taken in the morning and tabletsto be taken in the evening.

The blisters of the blister pack can be accommodated by the device inany suitable way; for example, they can fit into recesses. However, itis preferred that at least one of said first and second members hasapertures therethrough. This can allow access to the blisters to enablethe products therein to be removed. For example, if a blister pack issandwiched between a first or second member provided with apertures anda panel provided with aligned apertures, then the blister may beaccessed from one side of the “sandwich” and the product pushed out fromthe other side.

If both of the first and second members have apertures therethrough,then it is preferred that the apertures are staggered such that theapertures in the first member and the second member do not overlie eachother when the device is closed. If the apertures did overlie eachother, and blister packs had only been put into (say) the first member,then it would be possible to remove tablets when the device was closedsimply by pushing them out through the corresponding aperture in thesecond member. Having the apertures staggered avoids this problem, asthe tablet would then come up against a solid part of the second member,rather than an aperture in it.

The device may have a peripheral wall to prevent a knife or similarimplement being forced between the first and second members when thedevice is closed. This helps to prevent tampering with the device.Preferably, the wall extends outwardly of the device, transversely tothe general plane of a blister pack to be held by the device. Thus, inuse with outwardly facing blisters, the wall may extend higher than theblisters, and so prevent damage to said blisters. If the wall is lowerthan the blisters, then if the device is dropped it will land on theblisters, leading to damage to the blisters und possibly the tabletstherein.

Preferably, the device comprises a child-resistant closure. Any suitablechild-resistant closure can be used. However, in one preferredembodiment, the child-resistant closure has an actuating member forengagement by a user and provided on said first member, a lockingportion operatively connected to said actuating member and adapted toengage with a corresponding locking portion provided on said secondmember, wherein in the closed condition of the device, the lockingportions are on one side of the first and second members and theactuating member is on an opposite side. Positioning the lockingportions and the actuating member on opposite sides of the device isintended to deter a child attempting to open the device, by renderingthe manipulation required to open the device less obvious.

The actuating member can be formed in a number of ways, but ispreferably generally “U”-shaped, one limb of the “U” being anchored onsaid first member and the locking portion being provided on the otherlimb of the “U”.

It is preferred that the child-resistant closure has two spaced apartactuating members. It is then necessary to actuate both actuatingmembers at the same time in order to open the device. The spacingbetween the actuating members can be made such that an adult's hand islarge enough to actuate both actuating members with one hand, but achild's hand is too small to do this.

A shroud may be provided around the closure to prevent accidentaloperation. This can also serve to increase the child-resistance of thedevice, as the closure is then partly hidden, and so less obvious to aninquisitive child.

As an alternative form of child-resistant closure, the first and secondmembers may both carry parts of a child-resistant closure, said partsbeing engaged by a further member to close said device. Preferably, thisfurther member is a child-resistant screw cap or the like, and the firstand second members both carry a portion of a neck to engage with saidcap. Suitable child-resistant screw caps are readily available.

Preferably, the device additionally comprises means to retain said firstand second members in a closed position when said child-resistantclosure is released. This ensures that a separate motion, besides thatnecessary to disengage the child-resistant closure, is required. Even ifa child were to discover the method of opening the child-resistantclosure, the device would still not open unless a further step wastaken.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided adevice for holding a blister pack, comprising first and second membersrelatively movable between an open condition in which products may beremoved from a blister pack held by the device and a closed condition inwhich products may not be removed, and a child-resistant closure,wherein said child-resistant closure has an actuating member forengagement by a user and provided on said first member, and a lockingportion operatively connected to said actuating member and adapted toengage with a corresponding locking portion provided on said secondmember, wherein in the closed position of the device, the lockingportions are on one side of the first and second members and theactuating member is on an opposite side.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a devicefor holding a blister pack, comprising first and second membersrelatively movable between an open condition in which products may beremoved from a blister pack held by the device and a closed condition inwhich products may not be removed, and a child-resistant closure,wherein said first and second members both carry parts of saidchild-resistant closure, said parts being engaged by a further member toclose said device.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a device for holding a blister pack containing products, thedevice being able to adopt an open condition in which products areremovable from the blister pack and a closed condition in which removalof the products is prevented, and the device having a plurality ofapertures for exposing respective blisters of the blister pack to theoutside when the device is in both the closed and the open conditions,whereby when the device is in the open condition the blisters may bepushed from the outside to remove the products.

With such an arrangement a user can easily see the blisters, and thusidentify the products which have already been removed, without openingthe device. At the same time, whilst the device remains closed, theproducts are prevented from removal. Once the device is opened, productsmay be removed. Preferably, the device is held closed by achild-resistant closure. The device may optionally be provided with theother advantageous features described herein.

The device of the present invention is particularly intended for usewith relatively small products. Generally, in blister packs, the sizeand shape of the blister is very similar to that of the product.

However, for small products, the blister may be difficult for a user todeform, particularly because of the difficulty in bending a low heightperipheral blister wall by pressure applied to the top, as is requiredwhen crushing a blister. In addition, if the dimensions of the blisteras viewed in plan are small, then the upper wall of the blister onlyspans a small distance within the peripheral wall and is thus relativelyrigid. As a result, the finger of the person attempting to dispense thetablet, being soft, tends to be compressed itself, rather than crushingthe blister. This makes the product difficult to dispense.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a blister pack having at least one blister for accommodating aproduct therein, said blister extending upwards from a base to an uppersurface, the blister being shaped such that a part of said blisterprojects into the interior of the blister below the upper surface, saidprojecting part serving to contact the product when the blister isdepressed by a force applied to the blister, and thus transmit force tosaid product.

By providing a projecting part to act on the product, reliabledispensation of the product can be achieved even if the blister overallis larger than the product. By making a blister larger, deformation ofthe blister is generally easier for the reasons explained above. Alarger blister is also advantageous during the operation of filling ablister pack with products.

The inwardly projecting part of the blister may be formed as adepression in the upper surface of the blister. The lowermost part ofthe depression can then act on the product when the blister iscompressed. Advantageously, the depression is positioned centrally ofthe blister so as to contact the centre of a product to be pushed out.

Preferably, the blister has two main faces which meet in an upper regionof said blister, said depression being formed in the upper region. Thedepression can be formed to be generally more rigid than the main faces,so that it tends to retain its shape while the main faces collapse.

Preferably, the upper region is generally elongate. In use, a major axisof the product is parallel to said elongate upper region.

As an alternative, the inwardly projecting part of said blister isformed as a circumferential ledge extending around said blister. Thisthen acts along the circumference of the product when the blister iscompressed. Preferably, further ledges are formed along the height ofsaid blister. These allow the blister to collapse in a concertinafashion, ensuring that the product is pushed out.

The invention also extends to apparatus for making blisters for blisterpacks as described above. Apparatus for making blister packs is ofcourse known, but would be modified in accordance with the requiredshape of the blisters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way ofexample only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of thedevice according to the invention, split into its various components;

FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken generally about one line 1A—1Ain FIG. 1 in an assembled but open position of the device illustratingthe retention of the blister pack with its blisters projecting to theoutside of the device;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective top view of a tray of the first embodiment ofthe device, being folded into its closed condition;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective top view of the tray of the first embodimentof the device in its closed condition;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective underside view of the tray of the firstembodiment of the device in its closed condition;

FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of a latch of the tray;

FIG. 6 is a further enlarged view of the latch;

FIG. 7 shows an alternative arrangement for holding the blister packs inplace;

FIG. 8 shows an alternative closure arrangement;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a blister for a blister pack;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the blister of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a section along line 11-11 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view along arrow 12 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a view along arrow 13 in FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another blister for a blister pack;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the blister of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a section along line 16-16 in FIG. 14; and

FIG. 17 is a section along line 17-17 in FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A first embodiment of the device of the invention is shown generally inFIG. 1, and is denoted by the reference numeral 10. The device 10comprises a hinged tray 20, and panels 50 which retain blister packs 40in place. The device is able to hold a number of blister packs 40 (onlyone of which is shown in FIG. 1), in the form of blister strips.

The tray 20 comprises a base 22 and a lid 24, connected by means of ahinge 26. The lid 24 is formed as a flat plate with a number ofapertures 28 formed therethrough. At the end of the plate distant fromthe hinge is a planar region 30. The base 22 is also formed as a flatplate with a number of apertures 32 formed therethrough, and hasupstanding rim walls 34 formed along the three non-hinged edges. Theserim walls 34 extend upwardly and downwardly relative to the plate. Atthe end of the plate distant from the hinge, a generally planar region36 is formed, extending between the rim walls 34.

The tray 20 can be opened out so that the lid 24 and base 22 aregenerally co-planar (as in FIG. 1). The lid 24 can also be pivoted aboutthe hinge 26 to overlie the base 22 (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4), inwhich position inner faces of the lid 24 and base 22 confront eachother, and outer faces of the lid and base form the outer surface of thedevice 10. The base 22 and lid 24 can be retained in this foldedposition by means of a child-resistant closure 60. Because of the rimwalls 34 which extend upwardly and downwardly from the base, it is notpossible to open the tray by inserting a knife or similar thin articlebetween the lid and the base, as the gap between them is shielded by thewall in this closed position.

The apertures 28, 32 formed in the base 22 and lid 24 are of a size andshape to receive the blisters 42 of blister packs 40. To assemble thedevice 10 into a package, the tray 20 is opened out, as shown in FIG. 1,and blister packs 40 are inserted into the tray 20 with their blisters42 facing downwards and their backing sheets 44 overlying the innerfaces of the base and/or lid. In this position, the packs 40 areretained by gravity. The number of blister packs 40 used can vary,depending (in the case of medicinal products) on the course ofmedication required. The height of the blisters 42 relative to theirbacking sheet 44 should be such that the blisters 42 do not projectabove the rim walls 34, in order to reduce the risk of accidental damageto the blisters 42.

Once the blister packs 40 have been inserted, the panels 50 are placedover them. The panels 50 are in the form of flat plates, and also haveapertures 52 therethrough, corresponding in shape, size and position tothose in the base 22 and the lid 24 of the tray. The panels 50 may alsohave other apertures 51, through which information and the like on thebacking sheet 44 of the blister packs 40 can be read.

The purpose of the panels 50 is to retain the blister packs 40 in place.The backing sheet 44 of each pack 40 is retained between the base 22 orlid 24 and the panel 50. The apertures 52 in the panel 50 allow thetablets contained in the blister packs 40 to be pushed out through thepanel 50 while still retaining the blister pack 40 itself in place.

The panels 50 can be snapped into place on the base 22 and the lid 24 bymeans of a snap-fitting engagement, in such a way as to prevent theirremoval during normal use. While it would be possible to remove thepanels, for example for the purposes of refilling the device withblister packs, such removal would normally require the use of a tool ofsome sort, and would damage or break the panels and ensure that theycould not be reused, affording a certain degree of tamper evidence.

It is envisaged that the tray 20 will be filled with blister packs 40 bythe pharmacist dispensing the tablets, who will then snap the panelsinto place over the blister packs, and so the degree of tamper evidenceafforded by the snap-fitting of the panels 50 helps to prevent anyunauthorized changing of the tablets. In addition, the fact that thepanels are damaged on removal helps to prevent the reuse of trays withother blister packs, and so can reduce the chance of counterfeiting.However, in circumstances where it is desired to make the devicereusable, for example because of environmental legislation, the panelscan be removably secured to the tray.

Blister packs 40 can be inserted into both the base 22 and the lid 24,or just one of them. If the blister packs 40 are inserted into both,then when the tray 20 is folded shut, the backing sheets 44 of theblister packs 40 will face each other, making it impossible to dispenseany of the tablets while the tray is closed.

If blister packs 40 are only inserted into the base 22, then there is arisk that tablets could be pushed out of the device 10, through theapertures 28 in the lid 24, while the tray 20 is closed, which defeatsthe object of putting a child-resistant closure 60 on the tray 20 toprevent it being opened. A similar risk occurs when the blister packs 40are only inserted into the lid 24. To prevent the tablets being pushedout of the blister packs 40 in this way, the apertures 28, 32 in thebase 22 and the lid 24 are arranged such that they are out of registerwhen the tray 20 is closed, as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Any attemptto push the tablets out is then thwarted, as the tablets abut againstthe body of the base or lid, rather than passing through the apertures.

This staggering of the apertures can be achieved by varying theirspacing, or (as in the embodiment illustrated) by having some aperturesof different sizes. Whichever method is used, it is a preferred featurethat the arrangement of the apertures on the base and the lid is thesame in plan view, as this allows the panels used with the base and thelid to have the same arrangement of apertures. As a result of this, thepanels for the base and the lid can be made the same.

As a further precaution against tablets being pushed out of the devicewhen it is closed, any apertures in the base and the lid which are notbeing used to accommodate blisters can be closed off, for example byempty blister packs or strips of card therein.

In the embodiment shown, the number of apertures 28, 32 in the base 22and the lid 24 is the same, although different numbers can be used. Theapertures 28, 32 are arranged in a 5×7 grid, and it is intended thateach of the seven columns will accommodate the tablets to be taken on aparticular day of the week. Further, the base 22 and the lid 24 can beused to separately store tablets to be taken in the morning andafternoon.

The child-resistant closure 60 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 5 and 6.As can be seen from these Figures, two latches are provided on theplanar portion 36 of the base 22 distant from the hinge, each in theform of a resilient clip 62. The clips 62 are adapted to engage withopenings 74 in the planar portion 30 of the lid 24 distant from thehinge.

Each clip 62 is formed in conjunction with an opening 64 in the planarportion 36 of the base 22. The clip 62 is formed as a U-shaped member,with the end 66 of one limb connected to one side of the opening 64 andextending generally perpendicular to the planar portion 36. The end 68of the other limb is free, and extends through the opening 64. This endhas a projection 70 on it, and the face of the projection 70 distantfrom the planar portion of the base has a chamfered region 72.

The projection 70 is adapted to engage with an opening 74 in the planarportion 30 of the lid 24. This opening 74 is best shown in FIG. 5. Ascan be seen, the opening 74 has a small upstanding wall 76 surroundingit, the wall 76 projecting away from the base 22 when the tray 20 isclosed. The height of the wall 76 is such that the end of the clip 62which extends through the opening 74 does not project above the wall 76.

A projection 78 extends away from the inner end of the wall 76 towardsthe clip 62, and this projection 78 engages with the projection 70 onthe end 68 of the limb of the clip 62. It is this engagement that holdsthe tray closed.

The engagement of the clip 62 will now be described. During closure ofthe tray 20, the inner faces of the base 22 and the lid 24 approach eachother as the lid 24 rotates around the hinge 26. In particular, theinner face of the projection 78 on the lid approaches the free end 68 ofthe clip 62. The clip 62 and the projection 78 are arranged such thatthe projection 78 contacts the chamfered portion 72 of the projection 70on the clip 62. As a result of the chamfer 72, and the resilientflexibility of the clip 62, the limbs of the U are pushed together, andthis displaces the projection 70 on the free end 68 of the clip 72 tosuch an extent that the projection 78 can pass it. Once the projection78 has passed the projection 70 on the clip 62, the clip springs back toits original position, so that the projection 70 on the clip 62 overliesthe lid projection 78.

As mentioned above, this engagement of the projections 70, 78 holds thelid 22 and the base 24 in a closed position. The only way to access thetablets in the blister packs 40 is to release the engaging projections,open the tray, and push the tablets out through the apertures in thepanels. To aid the opening of the tray, the planar portion 36 of thebase 22 is provided with a cut-out 80, and the planar portion 30 of thelid 24 has a finger grip portion 82 which overlies the cut-out 80 whenthe tray 20 is closed.

Clearly, in order to release the engaging projections 70, 78, it isnecessary to move the projection 70 at the end of the clip 62. However,because of the upstanding wall 76 surrounding the opening 74 in theplanar portion 30 of the lid 24, it is very difficult to manipulate theprojection 70 on the clip 62 directly. While it may be possible toaccomplish this using some sort of tool, this is awkward, and it isunlikely that a child would do it accidentally.

To move the projection 70 at the end of the clip 62, it is necessary tosqueeze the limbs of the U together, as indicated by the arrows in FIGS.4 and 5. As the limb without the projection is fixed to the base 22,this has the effect of pulling the projection 70 on the free end of theU away from the projection 78 on the lid 24, and so release theengagement. This is shown schematically in FIG. 6.

Although the manoeuvre required to disengage the clip 62 is quitestraightforward, it is considered unlikely that a child, attempting toopen the package 10, would come across the correct method. A child wouldattempt to open the package 10 in the obvious way, by concentrating onthe engaging projections. However, it is very difficult to disengage theprojections by direct manipulation of the projection 78 on the clip 62,because it is “shrouded” by the upstanding wall 76.

The difficulty for children can be further increased by providing afurther wall, perpendicular to the planar portion of the base 36 and therim walls 34, although such a wall is not present in the embodimentshown. Providing this wall means that the clip 62 is effectively“hidden”, and so there is even less chance that a child would strike onthe necessary opening procedure by accident. Further, it reduces thechance of inadvertently opening the tray 20 when this is not desired.

There are two clips 62, and thus two sets of engaging projections, bothof which need to be disengaged in order to allow the tray 20 to beopened. It is therefore necessary to manipulate both clips 62simultaneously to open the device. The spacing of the clips is such thatthey can be manipulated simultaneously using one hand by an adult, bysqueezing both of the free ends of the U's together. However, thespacing, for example about 60 mm, is such that a child's hand isgenerally not large enough to do this. The adult then uses their otherhand to lift the lid by means of the finger grip portion 82. While thisis relatively straightforward for an adult, it is not easy for a child.

A further advantageous aspect of the device using the clips is that theentire tray can be moulded from a plastics material in one piece using asimple two-piece mould. The tray is moulded in its open position, andthe position of the various apertures with regard to the projections andthe clip obviate the need to use undercuts or cores in the mould.

However, as the tray is moulded in its open position, there is a problemin that the tray then has a tendency to “spring back” to its originalas-moulded position. As a result, the tray will spring open as soon asthe projections are disengaged. Since the point of providing the twoclips is to ensure that two hands are needed to open the device, one todisengage the clips and one to lift the lid, this “spring back” willreduce the child-resistance of the device.

To overcome this, the base and the lid are provided with means to holdthe device closed even after the child-resistant closure has beenopened. These means hold the device closed with a relatively smallforce, and so the device is still easy to open for an adult, butimproves the child-resistance of the device as a whole. The means canbe, for example, a pin on one of the base and the lid engaging in a holeprovided on the other of the base or lid. Such a pin and hole are shownin FIG. 1, denoted by the reference numerals 86 and 88.

As shown in FIG. 3, flat areas 84 of the device 10, such as the rimwalls 34 and the outer face of the planar portion 36 of the base 22, canhave labels applied to them. These labels can carry information aboutthe tablets in the device 10, about the times and order in which thetablets are to be taken, or any other information. Information, inparticular with regard to the times and order in which the tablets areto be taken, can also be displayed on the panels 50.

Although the tray 20 is shown with the base 22 and lid 24 hinged aboutone of their shorter walls, the hinge 26 could be formed along one ofthe longer walls. In addition, there is no need for the base 22 and thelid 24 to be rectangular, and they can be of any shape. In addition,although the tray 20 is shown with two clips 62, more or fewer could beused.

It is also possible to have the panels hinged to the base and the lid,rather than being entirely separate parts. In this case, the panelswould again engage with the base and the lid in such a way as to allowthem to removed without damaging them, to enable the pack to berefilled.

The embodiment described above works well in practice. However, it willbe seen that in order to dispense tablets from the blister packs, it isnecessary to exert a force which tends to push the blister packs awayfrom the base and the lid and towards the panels. As a result, the meansholding the panels onto the base and the lid need to hold the panelsvery securely, and this can lead to difficulties e.g. for the pharmacistfilling the pack, in that the snap fitting force may have to berelatively large, or a large number of snap fits may be needed.

Accordingly, in a second embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the arrangement forretaining the blister packs is somewhat different. Corresponding partsof the device of this embodiment are denoted by the same referencenumerals as in the first embodiment.

Rather than the packs being inserted into the tray so that the blistersproject downwards through the holes, the blister packs are placed on thetray, with the blisters projecting upwardly, away from the holes, andbetween positioning ribs 90. It should be pointed out that the tray inFIG. 7 is inverted relative to the one shown in FIG. 1. When the packshave been inserted, panels are then laid over the packs, and apertures92 in the panels engage with snap-fittings 94 on the tray.

As a result of the different layout, when a tablet is being dispensed,the blister pack 40 is pushed towards the tray 20, rather than away fromit. The dispensing force does not tend to push the panel 50 away fromthe tray. Thus the attachment of the panel 50 to the tray does not needto be designed to be excessively strong simply to resist the dispensingforce.

Further, due to the different layout, apertures 96 can be provided inthe base and the lid, rather than the panels, for viewing of batchinformation and the like printed on the foils of the blister packs.These apertures 96 are almost hidden by side walls 34 in FIG. 7.

The lid of the tray of this embodiment is preferably formed with supportlegs 98. These allow the flat plates of the base 22 and the lid 24 torest in the same plane while the tray is being filled by the pharmacist,as the lid is supported by the legs 98 and the base is supported by therim walls 34. Further, when tablets are being dispensed from the tray,the tray can be opened out and positioned with the blisters facingupwards, and the tablets dispensed by downward pressure, so that theyfall into the region beneath the flat plates. This can make removal ofthe tablets easier, especially for the sick or infirm.

The support legs 98 fit into slots in the base (not shown). In a furtherpreferred feature, the legs and slots engage with each other to providethe said means for holding the device closed even after thechild-resistant closures have been opened.

A further embodiment, having a different child-resistant closure, isshown in FIG. 8.

The device 110 of the further embodiment is generally similar to thatshown in FIG. 7, in that it comprises a tray 120 formed from a hingedlyconnected base 122 and lid 124, and so will not be described in greatdetail. However, rather than the child-resistant closure being formed astwo U-shaped clips, the child-resistant closure used in this embodimentis similar to those used on bleach bottles and the like, in which a capengages with the neck of the bottle. In one version, protrusions on theneck engage with lugs on the inside of the cap, and this engagementnormally prevents the cap from rotating on the neck. To disengage theprotrusions and the lugs, it is necessary to squeeze the cap at oppositesides thereof. As a result, the parts of the cap which are 90° away fromthe parts which are being squeezed are deformed outwardly, and thisoutward deformation serves to disengage the lugs and the protrusions.

In this embodiment, both the base 122 and the lid 124 carry a half 146,148 of the neck, each with a protrusion thereon. When the base and lidare folded closed, the halves meet and form an entire neck. Thechild-resistant cap 150 can then be put onto the neck to hold the deviceclosed.

As an alternative to the child-resistant closure described above withreference to FIG. 8, the halves of the neck can be formed with normalscrew threads, and the cap can be a child-resistant cap of the typeusually used on pill bottles.

Of course, any other suitable form of child-resistant closure can beused to hold the device closed. The clip of the first and secondembodiments has the advantage that it always requires the same force toopen it. The force required to open a child-resistant screw cap canvary, according to the force originally used to screw it up, but theclip always requires the same amount of force, irrespective of how itwas closed. The force required can be tailored to, for example, peoplewith arthritis so that they will not have difficulty in opening thedevice.

The trays described herein are intended to be used with a particulardrug, whose dose varies from 1 mg to 2.75 mg depending on the body massof the patient. To avoid production of a very large number of tablets ofdiffering sizes, the drug is dispensed in 1 mg and 0.25 mg tablets. Thevarious doses can thus be made up from a number of large or smalltablets. It will be seen that the trays described above have two largeand three small apertures in each of the seven columns, thus allowing amaximum dispensed dose of 2×1 mg+3×0.25 mg, or 2.75 mg. Differingnumbers of blister packs can be dispensed by the pharmacist using thesame tray to make up the prescribed dose. A week's course of tablets(morning and afternoon) can be stored in each tray.

The 0.25 mg tablet is relatively small. The problems regarding smalltablets in blister packs have already been discussed, in particular withregard to the difficulties involved in removing the tablets from thepacks. A first blister for use with a blister pack and designed toovercome these problems is illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 13.

The blister 200 is generally oval in plan view, with a major axis 202and a minor axis 204. The blister comprises two main faces 206, 208 anda number of minor faces, which incline upwards from the base at arelatively shallow angle. The main faces 206, 208 meet in an upperregion of the blister, along a line which is, in plan view, at an angleto the major and minor axes. Midway along the meeting line, at thecentre of the surface of the blister, is formed a depression or dimple210, which projects into the body of the blister.

The blister and tablet are sized such that the tablets lies parallel tothe meeting line when the blister is filled. As a result, the blister inplan view is considerably larger than the tablet, which renders theblister pack easier to fill. Further, the distance between the base ofthe blister and the lowermost point 212 of the inwardly-projectingdimple 210 is only slightly more than the thickness of the tablet. Thus,the dimple projects downwardly into the blister almost as far as theupper surface of the tablet.

A person wishing to dispense the tablet pushes down with a finger orthumb on the blister. As the meeting line of the two main faces 206, 208is the highest point of the blister 200, this will be contacted by thefinger and pressed down. The meeting line and the dimple 210 formed inthe middle thereof have a degree of structural rigidity, and so theytend to move down as a whole. As a result, the lowermost point 212 ofthe dimple 210 contacts the upper surface of the tablet after the personhas depressed the top of the blister a very small distance.

Subsequent force pushes the tablet against the foil, and eventuallythrough it. Continued application of force on the blister as the tabletpasses through the foil tends to crumple the blister. However, evenduring this crumpling, the meeting line and the dimple 210 tend toretain their shape. The tablet thus continues to be pushed downwards bythe lowermost point 212 of the dimple 210, even as the blister 200 iscrushed, and this further aids removal of the tablet.

Turning now to FIGS. 14 to 17, these show an alternative blister for usewith a blister pack. Again, the blister 220 is generally oval in planview. The sides of the blister slope upwardly from the plane of thefoil, toward a central ridge 222. However, rather than being smoothslopes, the sides of the blister are stepped in the manner of aziggurat.

As a result of these steps, there are defined a series of ledges 224,226, 228 running around the circumference of the blister. The ledges aresized relative to the tablet to be retained in the blister so that thetopmost ledge 228 is spaced very slightly above the edge of the tablet230, which lies along the major axis of the blister, as best shown inFIGS. 16 and 17.

When the person wishing to dispense the tablet pushes down with a fingeror thumb on the central ridge 222 of the blister 220, the topmost ledge228 contacts the edge of the tablet 230. The force exerted by the personis thus transmitted directly to the tablet 230 after the person hasdepressed the top of the blister a very small distance.

Subsequent force pushes the tablet 230 against the foil, and eventuallythrough it. Continued application of force on the blister 220 as thetablet passes through the foil will tend to crumple the blister alongthe ledges 224, 226, 228, so that it concertinas, further helping theremoval of the tablet.

Thus, a blister which is higher and wider than the tablet it retains canbe provided, while still allowing the tablet to be dispensed from theblister without difficulty.

Although the invention has been described in the context of a device forholding blister packs of medicinal tablets, it will be appreciated thatit can be used to hold blister packs of any sort.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for holding a blister pack having a baseand deformable blisters projecting from the base for containingproducts, comprising first and second members operable between an opencondition in which products may be removed from blisters of the blisterpack held by the device and a closed condition in which products may notbe removed, the device also comprising retaining means for the blisterpack allowing products to be removed from the blisters of the blisterpack when the device is open, the retaining means preventing the blisterpack from being removable from the device, and the device having aplurality of apertures for exposing respective blisters of the blisterpack to the outside of the device when the device is in both the closedand the open conditions, whereby when the device is in the opencondition the deformable blisters may be pushed and deformed from theoutside of the device to remove the products.
 2. A device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the retaining means are tamper-evident.
 3. A device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining means are in the form of apanel which fits over the base of the blister pack.
 4. A device asclaimed in claim 3, wherein apertures are provided in the panel to allowproducts to be removed from the blisters of the blister pack in the opencondition without removing the panel.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 1,wherein a blister pack is held by each of the first and the secondmembers.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of saidfirst and second members has apertures therethrough.
 7. A device asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the apertures are provided in both saidfirst and second members, the apertures being staggered such that theapertures in the first member and the second member do not overlie eachother when the device is closed.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 1,additionally comprising a peripheral wall.
 9. A device as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the wall extends outwardly of the device, transverselyto the general plane of a blister pack to be held by the device, higherthan the blisters.
 10. A device as claimed in claim 1, additionallycomprising a child-resistant closure.
 11. A device as claimed in claim10, wherein the child-resistant closure has an actuating member forengagement by a user and provided on said first member, and a lockingportion operatively connected to said actuating member and adapted toengage with a corresponding locking portion provided on said secondmember, wherein in the closed condition of the device, the lockingportions are on one side of the first and second members and theactuating member is on an opposite side.
 12. A device as claimed inclaim 11, wherein the actuating member is preferably generally “U”-shaped, one limb of the “U” being anchored on said first member and thelocking portion being provided on the other limb of the “U”.
 13. Adevice as claimed in claim 11, wherein the child-resistant closure hastwo spaced apart actuating members.
 14. A device as claimed in claim 11wherein a shroud is provided around the closure.
 15. A device as claimedin claim 10, wherein the first and second members both carry parts of achild-resistant closure, said parts being engaged by a further member toclose said device.
 16. A device as claimed in claim 15, wherein saidfurther member is a child-resistant screw cap, and the first and secondmembers both carry a portion of a neck to engage with said cap.
 17. Adevice as claimed in claim 10 wherein the device additionally comprisesmeans to retain said first and second members in a closed position whensaid child-resistant closure is released.
 18. A device for holding ablister pack having a base and blisters projecting from the base,comprising first and second members relatively movable between an opencondition in which products may be removed from blisters of the blisterpack held by the device and a closed condition in which products may notbe removed from the blisters of the blister pack, and a child-resistantclosure, wherein said child-resistant closure has an actuating memberfor engagement by a user and provided on said first member, and alocking portion operatively connected to said actuating member andadapted to engage with a corresponding locking portion provided on saidsecond member, wherein in the closed position of the device, the lockingportions are on one side of the first and second members and theactuating member is on an opposite side.
 19. A device for holding ablister pack, comprising first and second members relatively movablebetween an open condition in which products may be removed from theblisters of the blister pack held by the device and a closed conditionin which products may not be removed from the blisters of the device,and a child-resistant closure, wherein said first and second membersboth carry parts of said child-resistant closure, said parts beingengaged by a further member to close said device.
 20. A device accordingto claim 1 in combination with said blister pack, wherein one of saidfirst and second members has at least certain of said plurality ofapertures therethrough, said blister pack having a base and saiddeformable blisters projecting from said base through said apertures ofsaid one member to extend outwardly beyond said one member.